Laundry bag and closing device therefor



y 27, 19.47. w. c. HOWE LAUNDRY BAG AND CLOSING DEVICE THEREFOR Filed June 20, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet l May 27, 1947. w, c E

LAUNDRY BAG AND CLOSINQ DEVICE THEREFOR Filed June 20, 1942 3 (Sheets-Sheet 2 yizdnfiv William OHowe y 1947. w. c. HOWE LAUNDRY BAG AND CLOSING DEVICE THEREFOR Filed June 20, 1942 s Sheetshee; s

Patented May 27, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LAUNDRY BAG AND CLOSING DEVICE THEREFOR William C. Howe, Chicago, Ill.

Application June 20, 1942, Serial No. 447,877

dries to enclose selected wash goods during the washing operations, and has particular reference to novel means for closing the laundry ba during use.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a new and improved closing device for laundry nets or bags which serves to close the end opening in a flat and taut condition, thereby increasing the available capacity of the bag and effecting a tight closure to avoid the escape of wet goods.

Another object is to provide a new and improved closing device for laundry nets or bags which may be easily and quickly closed and opened without likelihood of injury to the laundry workers.

A further object is to provide a novel closing device for laundry nets or bags which does not have objectionably protruding metal parts likely to become battered in the mechanical action of the laundry wheel, and which, therefore, is subject to a minimum of wear.

Another object is to provide a new and improved closing device which provides a strong closure so that the laundry bag may be inverted in use to permit convenient removal of the clothes from the lower end.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as the description proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of one type of laundry bag or net, provided with a closing device embodying the features of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view on an enlarged scale of the closing device attached to the normally open end of the bag, and partially disengaged.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of the closing device taken transversely of the bag, and illustrating particularly one form of fastening means.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view, partially sectioned along line 4-4 of Fig. 3, and illustrating the fastening means.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a laundry bag closed by a pin in accordance with conventional practices.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of a laundry bag with a modified form of closing device.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken along line 'il of Fig. 6.

A, Fig. 8 i a fragmentary perspective view of a laundry bag with another modified form of closing device.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view taken along line 9--9 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a view on a reduced scale of a laundry bag open at both ends, and provided with a closing device for each end.

While the invention is susceptible of various -modifications and alternative constructions, I

have shown in the drawings and will herein describe in detail the preferred embodiment, but it is to be understood that I do not thereby intend to limit the invention to the specific form disclosed, but intend to cover all modifications and alternative constructions falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, Fig. 5 illustrates one conventional type of laundry bag or net I which is used by commercial laun-- dries for enclosing a selected batch of wash goods during the washing, rinsing and draining operations. Such nets are tubular in form with one end closed at 2, and the other end open at 3, to constitute a bag. They may be made of different materials having suitable openings for permitting the free passage of the wash and rinse liquids through the goods. A woven or loose mesh cotton fabric is often employed. In the present instance, the bag I is made of rubber formed throughout the walls with closely spaced circular openings 4. The marginal edge portions of the open end 3 are formed with a parallel'row or series of similar openings 5 (see Figs. 2 and 3).

In accordance with prevailing practice, the normally open end 3 of the bag I is closed by a large safety pin 6 after the wash goods have been inserted. The pin 6 is usually from four to six inches in length, and has a back member I, and a pointedshank or tine 8, connected by a spring coil 9. A head Ill on the free end of the member I is adapted to receive the pointed end of the tine 8 when the pin is closed. To close the bag I, the doubled marginal edge of the top opening 3 must be gathered tightly in reverse folds or loops II on the shank 8, the latter extending through the openings 5. bag, the loops ll tend to open and gap, par ticularly when the bag is made of cotton mesh fabric. Consequently, the loops H must be small enough and tight enough on the shank 8 of the pin so that the wash goods cannot escape through v the spaces at the folds and become lost. I

The pin method of closing laundry bags has numerous disadvantages which are avoided by In handling the filled the closing device of the present invention. One primary objection is that by gathering the open end of the bag on the safety pin 6, the usable space within the bag is considerably reduced as will be evident from inspection of Fig. 5. Also, the coil 9 and the head l protrude, and these parts are subjected to battering and wear in the mechanical action of the wash wheel. When the top of the bag is properly gathered on the shank 8, it becomes difficult to close and open the pin 6. In use, the bag is commonly suspended from the pin on a conveyer, the means for this purpose usually comprising a ring (not shown) extending through the spring coil 9 and formed with a slot adapted to hook over an arm on the conveyer. suspending the bag in this manner tends to bend or distort the pin. Because of the foregoing factors, use of the pin involves a hazard to the laundry worker, so that it is a common occurrence for laundry employees to have cut or laceratedfingers. Even when the bag is properly closed by the pin, openings tend to form in the. folds through which some articles of clothes or goods may escape and become lost.

One of the problems in present day commercial laundry practice is the identification and classification of the wash goods. The pins are commonly provided with some identifying number or indicia placed on the head. However, the head lll does not lend itself to the use of contrasting colors, and the identifying indicia thereon are difiicult to read and contribute to errors in sorting" and assembling. Also, the pins serve only two: purposes, namely, to close the net and toidentify the customer to whom the wash goods belong. There is no way in which the pin can be used additionally to indicate the nature of the wash goods within the bag. Consequently, cotton net bags have oftenbeen made with a strip of a; selected color running through the fabric to indicate a certain class of work, but because of the many classes that must be handled and the variety of services that are customarily performed in a laundry, there may often be a surplus of bags of one color, and a shortage of bags of another color; since the bags are not interchangeable in use.

The closing. device contemplated by the present invention serves to close the normally open end 3 ofthe bag in afiat condition as illustrated in. Figs. I and 2., and. consequently the full space of the bag may be utilized. The device providesa closure which maintains the marginal edge of the opening 3 straight, taut and in close contact so that there are no gaps or openings through which any articles from within the bag can escape. The closure is sturdy and of such. construction that the weight of the goods exerts no pressure. thereon tending to open the bag. Consequently, the bag can. be suspended in an in vertedposition on the: conveyer, and the operator need merely open the lower end of the bag to remove the wet goods quickly and conveniently.

' In; the form illustrated Figs. 1 to 4, the 0105- ing:- device comprises two normally fiat strips t2 and 13 which are adapted tobe secured respectively against opposite sides of the bag along the margins of the opening 3, and to be interconnected by suitable fastening-devices I 4 extending through certain of the openings 5. The strips i2- and f3 may be made of any suitable ma terial having sufficient strength and stiffness to maintain the marginal edges of the bag in contact and in a straight and taut condition. It is sembly I8 is suitably attached to the opposite strip 13, and is formed with an opening l9 to receive the free end of the prong I5. Confined within the plate assembly I8 is a spring wire detentm having spaced parallel ends 2| adapted to be deflected by the prong l5 and to engage resiliently in the groove l l in the assembly. Any sm'able number of the fasteners l4 may be provided, and they are uniformly spaced along the strips I-2 and I3.

To disengage the fasteners M, the strip I3 is formed at one end with a hand grip Z2, and the plate assemblies mare so disposed that the spring ends H of the wire 2! extend generally longitudinally of the strips. With this arrangement. thestrip [3 may be readily detachedmerely by exerting a lateral pull on the hand grip- 22. The closing device in use is not subjected to pressure tending to disengage the fastening devices M, and affords a strong and secure closure. at all points along the marginal edges of the opening 3. The metal parts protrude only slightly and in such a manner that they are nottsubjected to distortion and battering in the washing operation. The bag can be; suspended in inverted position, and the wet'waslr removed; from the lower end merely by disengaging the closing device. In view of the sturdy construction of the closing device, and the complete closure of the bag without any spaces orgaps between the marginal edges of the opening, both ends of the bag may be open and each provided with a clos--' ing device as illustrated in Fig. 10, thereby reducing lifting and handling: of the bag, andfacilitating the emptying thereof in whatever posi-' tion it may be suspended.

Figs. 6 and 7 show a modified form of closing device which is of the cape type. Inthis form, the device comprises a single strip 23- of suitable material, such for example as rubber or canvas, which is adapted to be folded along its longitudinal medialline over the flattened open end of the bag. Fastening devices 24, similar to the devices F4, are provided, andin this instance the devices 24 have prongs 25 attached to one side portion of the folded strip 23', and

' be seen that the hinge portion 21 positivelycloses th'e flattened end of the bag and serves as a reenforcement so that a somewhat lighter material may be employed than in the form of clos ing device shown in Figs. 1 to 4.

Essentially, the closing. device within tt broad. concept of the invention comprises means of suf-l ficient rigidity and strength to hold the flattened marginal edges of the bag at the open" end in a straight and taut condition without puckering" or gappin'g. A third form ofclosing device having this same general characteristic is shown in Figs. 8 and 9, and comprises single strip 28 of material adapted to be interposed between the opposed marginal edges of the bag opening 3 to define therewith a three-ply arrangement suitably secured together. The ends of the strip 28 preferably are tapered, as indicated at 29, to enter holes 5 at the extremities of the bag opening 3, and thereby locate the strip in correct position. Suitable laces 30 may be secured to the strip 28 at spaced points along its length, and these laces are adapted to be threaded through the opposed openings 5 and then tied to secure the bag in closed condition.

The closing device is especially adapted for the identification 0f difiereni; classes of wash goods. So far as sorting and classification is concerned, it will be obvious that the closing device may be used if desired in the same manner as where the safety pins are employed. However, the closing device lends itself to the use of a large number of contrasting colors and, therefore, to a more complete identification of the wash goods. Such identification permits the clothes to be sent directly from the extractor to the various finishing departments without first being collected in a sorting pool, thereby speeding up straight line production. Thus, the closing device may be provided in a variety of colors, of which each color has a particular significance. For example, a natural colored rubber can be adopted to indicate white work, and a red rubber can be adopted to signify colored work, these bein the two primary divisions. In additon, subclassifications of colors can be adopted to identify separate nets for handkerchiefs, socks, tumbler work, large flat work, small flat work, body press work, small press work, shirt press work, and miscellaneous. A closing device made with one portion in natural color and the other portion in blue might indicate that the net contained large white fiat work, and another closing device in natural color and green might identify the contents a small white flat work. Other selected color combinations are available for the remaining classifications.

Increasing the subclassification of clothes would speed up straight line production considerably. It would make practical a separation of the clothes as to size and as to condition of soil, thereby preventing overwashing of comparatively clean goods when mixed with comparatively dirty goods. Because of size classification, all of the large fiat work from each lot would go to the ironer at the same time, so that the speed and capacity of the machine would be efficiently employed. Such condition does not obtain in instances where a napkin or a handkerchief may follow a large bed, sheet through the ironer.

The species of Figs. 6 to 10 are disclosed and claimed in my copending divisional application Serial No. 702,258, filed October 9, 1946.

I claim as my invention:

1. A closing device for a laundry bag having openings in its walls for the passage of liquids and having an open end formed with a marginal row of closely spaced apertures, said device comprising two separate comparatively still but flexible strips of material substantially coextensive in length with the width of the bag and adapted to be disposed respectively against opposite sides thereof to collapse the marginal edge of the bag opening into straight flat and taut contact, and

a series of longitudinally spaced snap fasteners for connecting said trips, said fasteners comprising prongs on one of said strips and adapted to be extended through certain of said apertures in said bag, and detent members on the other of said strips for receiving and yieldably locking said prongs, said last mentioned strip being extended beyond said bag to provide a hand grip and said fasteners being separable by a lateral end pull on said last mentioned strip.

2. A closing device for a laundry bag having openings in its walls for the passage of liquids and having an open end formed with a marginal row of closely spaced apertures, said device comprising two comparatively stiiT but flexible strips of material substantially coextensive in length with the width of the bag and adapted to be disposed respectively against opposite sides thereof to collapse the marginal edge of the bag opening into straight flat contact, and means adapted to be extended through said apertures for releasably connecting said strips to close said bag with said end in a taut collapsed condition.

3. A closing device for a laundry bag having openings in its walls for the passage of liquids and having an open end formed with a marginal row of spaced apertures, said device comprising two strips of comparatively stiff but flexible maaerial adapted to be disposed respectively against opposite sides of the bag to collapse the marginal edge of the bag opening into straight fiat contact, and a series of longitudinally spaced fasteners for connecting said strips, said fasteners comprising members on one of said strips and adapted to be extended through certain of said apertures in said bag, and detent members on the other of said strips for releasably engaging said first mentioned members, said fasteners being separable by a lateral pull merely on one end of one of said strips away from the side of said bag.

WILLIAM C. HOWE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,536,105 Kaye May 5, 1925 1,951,599 Dever Mar. 20, 1934 2,064,594 Dickey Dec. 15, 1936 692,406 Wright Feb. 4, 1902 1,905,982 Duvall Apr. 25, 1933 1,982,813 Jacobi Dec. 4, 1934 211,224 Cleary Jan. 7, 1879 1,190,935 Minor July 11, 1916 1,367,485 Laux Feb. 1, 1921 1,982,845 Wagman Dec. 4, 1934 401,196 Miller Apr. 9, 1889 327,972 Timermann Oct. 6, 1885 607,735 Howells July 12, 1898 897,594 Craw Sept. 1, 1908 690,854 Grant Jan. 7, 1902 1,542,561 Laskin et al June 16, 1925 1,553,241 Hickey Sept. 8, 1925 2,080,453 Kraut May 18, 1937 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 7,656 Switzerland Sept. 9, 1898 7,763 Great Britain Apr. 12, 1905 

